The objective of this study is to determine the efficacity of a community strategy for screening children 06-59 months old for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) conducted by their mothers' compared with a community screening strategy conducted by Community Health Workers.

Further study details as provided by Alliance for International Medical Action:

Primary Outcome Measures:

The coverage of the therapeutic nutritional program in the control and intervention health districts [ Time Frame: 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Coverage of the the therapeutic nutritional treatment program is defined as the proportion of children 06-59 months with Severe Acute Malnutrition (Mid Upper Arm Circumference <115mm and/or oedema) receiving treatment in the program, amongst the total number of children diagnosed with Severe Acute Malnutrition

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Malnutrition program data for children referred by community health workers & mothers [ Time Frame: 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Nutritional status at admission (mid upper arm circumference +/- oedema) Type of admission to the programme (out-patient or immediate transfer for in-patient care) Source of reference to the programme (Community Health Worker, Mother, other) Date of discharge from the programme Weight at admission to the programme Discharge criteria (cured, died, failed to attend, non-response to treatment, transfer for in-patient nutrition care, transfer to other health care structures) Number of children screened by mothers confirmed to have SAM at the treatment centre Number of children screened by community health workers confirmed to have SAM at the treatment centre

One Community Health Worker (CHW) will be trained per village in the comparator arm. The training the CHWs receive will be identical to that delivered in the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition program run by ALIMA/BEFEN (Bien Être de la Femme et l'Enfant Niger) over the last 3 years. This involves 6 hours theoretical training and a practical session in the health centre.

CHWs will screen children 06-59 months in their village once a month

Other: Active comparator: Screening by community health workers

Experimental: Screening by mothers

Mothers in the intervention health district will be trained in small womens' groups in their village. Training will have a theoretical component and a practical demonstration component on children in the village

During the first baseline door to door mass screening campaign, mothers will also receive individual training on conducting a Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) classification and looking for pedal oedema. they will receive a brief recap during the three monthly door-to-door mass screening campaigns

Mothers will be asked to check their child's MUAC and look for pedal oedema

whenever the child does not seem to be in 'good health' to the mother

whenever the mother feels that the child is 'unwell' or 'sick'

whenever it seems to the mother that her child has lost weight

whenever the mother thinks that it is necessary to do so

Other: Screening by mothers

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

6 Months to 59 Months

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

children aged 06-59 months at the time of the study

children who live in a village in the health district participating in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

children whose legal guardian refuses to participate in the study

Contacts and Locations

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01863394